Electric iron with steam emission under pressure transformable into a room humidifier

ABSTRACT

AN ELECTRIC IRON WITH STEAM EMISSION FOR MOISTENING THE OBJECTS TO BE IRONED, THE STEAM BEING PRODUCED BY HEATING WATER IN A SUITABLE RESERVOIR SITUATED ABOVE THE PLATE BY MEANS OF AN ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE AND IN WHICH USE IS MADE OF A SWITCHING VALVE WHICH MAKES THE WATER PASS THROUGH THE IRONING PLATE IN THE FORM OF STEAM AND MAY BE CHANGED OVER TO OBTAIN DRY IRONING.

De 4, 1971 M. ZUCCARELLO lu'LUUl'RIC IRON WITH STEAM EMISSlON UNIH'IH PRESSURE, TRANSFORMABLE INTO A ROOM HUMIDIFIER Filed Feb. 11, 1.970

x m A INVENTOR.

MARIO Z UCCARELLO N E G A United States Patent O 3,626,615 ELECTRIC IRON WITH STEAM EMISSION UNDER PRESSURE, TRANSFORMABLE INTO A ROOM HUMIDIFIER Mario Zuccarello, Via Boncompagni 67, Milan, Italy Filed Feb. 11, 1970, Ser. No. 10,413 Claims priority, ap iliicgtiozsgtaly, Feb. 25, 1969,

Int. Cl.D06f 75/06 US. Cl. 3877.8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to electric irons with emission of steam under pressure.

Two main types of electric irons are known in which steam is produced, i.e. a first type in which water contained in a space within the iron, is not all heated to vaporization temperature, but a limited quantity (practically drops) is gradually fed to a vaporization plate, and a second type where the whole of the water contained in said space is heated to obtain steam under pressure which is collected in a suitable top steam chamber.

In irons of this first type the use of a switching valve is already known. Such valve opens the communication between the said space and a dripping nozzle in a first position and cuts 01f this communication and possibly communicates the vaporization zone with the atmosphere to avoid overpressures. These switching valves which are arranged in such water-steam system have a number of disadvantages in that they are readily clogged and frequent repairs are necessary.

Irons of the second type are advantageously used where the necessity of ironing Without steam being emitted is less frequent. This because in order to prevent steam from being ejected the water space must be emptied by removing an appropriate plug. This operation, however, cannot be frequently carried out in such a system and that is why this second type of irons are not widely em.- ployed in domestic uses, where instead passing to ironing without steam is very frequent operation.

An object of the invention is therefore that of providing an iron which on one hand has a switching valve for changing over the said iron from one operational condition with steam emission to another operational condition without steam emission, and on the other it is not subject to operational deficiencies.

Another object of the present invention is that the two position valve unit is mechanically connected to control means controlling the external water supply.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric iron with steam emission, of inexpensive manufacture, easy to use and of reliable operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and further objects which will better appear hereinafter are attained by an electric iron according to the invention with steam emission for moistening the objects to be ironed, including an iron plate, at least one opening for delivering the steam in said plate, emerging 3,626,615 Patented Dec. 14, 1971 ice at the ironing surface, electrical resistance means on said ironing plate, a vaporization reservoir for the water above said electrical resistance means and in heat transfer contact therewith, a steam chamber provided above said reservoir and communicating therewith, a first duct between said steam chamber and said hole in said plate, a second duct which connects said steam chamber to atmosphere and is characterized in that it comprises a manual control valve means having a first and second elements in said steam chamber, which are so arranged that in a first valve control position the said first element closes the said first duct and the said second element opens the said second duct and in a second position the valve control is inverted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will better appear from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an iron according to the invention, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view with cut-away portions of the iron according to the invention in the steam ironing position,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the iron in the dry ironing position,

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the iron through the line IIIIII of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to said figures, the iron illustrated conven tionally comprises an upper handle 1 of thermal insulating material, an ironing plate 2, an electrical resistance 3 for heating said plate and a thermostat 4- for controlling the electric current fed through the supply cable 5.

According to the invention a reservoir 6 is provided between the ironing plate 2 and the handle 1 for evaporating the water, closed at its periphery and in heat transfer contact with the resistance 3.

A valve carrying body 7 is screwed on said reservoir 6 and extends upwards to the inside of a seat 8 formed in the handle 1 and opening to the outside through a hole 9 of smaller dimensions.

This body 7 is hollow and defines internally a steam chamber 10 with a first duct 11 opening directly to atmosphere and an opening 12 for the free communication with said reservoir 6. A valve member 13 is slidingly assembled with a large degree of play in said chamber 10 and comprises an upper gasket 14 which serves to close the duct 11 opening to atmosphere by the thrust exercised by a spiral spring 15 located between the valve member 13 and the bottom of the chamber 10.

In the conditions shown in FIG. 1 the iron is ready for ironing with moistening steam. In fact the steam, coming from the reservoir 6, can transfer itself on to the object to be ironed by passing through the opening 12, the chamber 10, a second duct 16 and the openings 17 of a bush 18 of usual type, sunk in the ironing plate 2, said second duct 16 being provided in a spout 19 fixed to the plate 2 and crossing the chamber 6, and extending upwards until it meets the steam chamber 10.

The valve member 13 lowerly comprises a central gasket 20 and is upperly provided with a control stem 21, terminating at the top in a small block or press-button 22 for manual control. The block 22 crosses the said hole 9 of the handle 1.

If this block 22 is pressed downwards by hand, the valve 13 will close the channel 16 by means of its gasket 20 which acts against the inlet 16a of the channel 16. This has the effect of arranging the iron for dry ironing,

in that the steam travelling through the opening 12, the

perforations or grooves 24 provided radially in the valve body, and the duct 11, will be transported to atmosphere through an outlet hole 25 in the handle, expressly provided in a position corresponding with said duct 11.

If it is desired to iron dry for a time or to use the present iron as a room humidifier, it is sufficient to arrange it vertically or horizontally as shown in FIG. 2 and to fix the block 22 in the corresponding blocking position, for example by means of an undercut notch 26 in the block 22 Which acts against the inside edge of the hole 9 as shown in FIG. 2.

From its position as a dry iron or room humidifier, the iron may easily be returned to the steam ironing position by merely disengaging the block 22 from the hole 9, by the action of the spring 15 which by thrusting against the steam valve 13 causes closure of the duct 11 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

From the foregoing description and with reference to the construction shown, it is evident that the iron according to the invention is without water passage holes of the type closed with a plug. Introduction of water into the reservoir 6 takes place after pushing the rod 21 in the direction of the arrow 23, through said steam exit hole 25 suitably shaped as a funnel, its corresponding duct 11 being automatically closed as said by the steam valve 13 when the manual thrust initially exerted on said rod 21 is released.

Further, as the valve 13 is not constantly in contact with water and as it is disposed in the chamber with a very large degree of play, it is impossible for it to become jammed, either when the iron is at rest or during operation.

Advantageously the reservoir 6 is formed in two pieces comprising a bottom 6a and a cover member 6b which are sealed one on the other by means of a suitable sealing material along the lower peripheral edge of the member 611. This simplifies casting operations for the two pieces and gives the possibility of being able to reach the inside of the reservoir 6 in case of necessity.

I claim:

1. An electric iron with steam emission for moistening the objects to be ironed, including an ironing plate, at least one opening for delivering the steam in said plate, emerging at the ironing surface, electrical resistance means on said ironing plate, a vaporization reservoir for the water above said electrical resistance means and in heat transfer contact therewith, a steam chamber provided above said reservoir and communicating therewith, a first duct between said steam chamber and said hole in said plate, a second duct which connects said steam chamber to atmosphere, 9. manual control valve means having a first and second elements in said steam chamber, which are so arranged that in a first valve control position the said first element closes the said first duct and the said second element opens the said second duct and in a second position the valve control is inverted and wherein said manual control valve means in said steam chamber comprise a valve body defining said steam chamber internally and disposed above said vaporization reservoir; a first opening in said valve body for the free communication between said steam chamber and said vaporization reservoir, said first opening being crossed by the free end of said first duct which emerges in said steam chamber, and at least one second opening in said valve body, a valve member inside said steam chamber which carries said first and second elements and is movable between a first position of closure of said free end of said first duct and a second position of closure of said second opening; and means for manually controlling said valve member from outside said valve body and wherein said valve means comprise a third opening in free communication with said second opening and said means for the manual control of said valve member comprise a valve stem slidingly passing through said second opening and connected on the inside of said steam chamber to said valve member and having its other free extremity emerging from said valve body, a button block with two positions corresponding to said two positions of closure of said valve member being fixed to said free extremity of said valve stem, and resilient means between said valve member and a wall of said steam chamber.

2. An iron as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resilient means comprise a helical spring.

3. An iron as claimed in claim 1, wherein an interspace is defined between said first opening and said first duct passing through it, for the free passage of steam from said vaporization chamber to said steam chamber.

4. An iron as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve member comprises a rigid body, at least one longitudinal groove on said rigid body, a first and second seal elements arranged on a corresponding side of said rigid body opposite said first and said second opening in said valve body respectively.

5. An iron as claimed in claim 4, wherein said rigid body comprises a plurality of longitudinal peripheral grooves for the passage of water and steam through said rigid body when said valve member is in the position of closure of said first opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,188,010 1/1940 Miller 3877.8 2,802,288 8/1957 Hoecker 3877.5 3,418,736 12/1968 Kueser 3877.81

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

